Brisbane Airport (IATA: BNE, ICAO: YBBN) is the primary international airport serving Brisbane and South East Queensland. It is the third busiest Australian airport by aircraft movements.[7] The airport services 26 airlines flying to 42 domestic and 28 international destinations, in total amounting in more than 21.8 million passengers who travelled through the airport in 2013.[8]

Brisbane Airport is a major hub for Virgin Australia, and a secondary hub for both Qantas and its low cost subsidiary Jetstar. Tigerair Australia also opened a base[9] at Brisbane Airport on 11 March 2014. Brisbane has the third highest number of domestic connections in Australia following Sydney and Melbourne. It is also home to Qantas' 767-300 and A330 heavy maintenance facility.[10][11] Virgin Australia has a smaller maintenance facility at the Airport, where line-maintenance on the Airline's 737 fleet is performed.[12] Other airlines, namely QantasLink, and Alliance Airlines also conduct maintenance at their respective facilities at the Airport.[13][14] The airport has international and domestic passenger terminals, a cargo terminal, a general aviation terminal and apron as well as two runways. Brisbane Airport is accessible from the central business district by the Gateway Motorway and the Airtrain rail service, which is linked to the Queensland Rail City network. The new Airport Link motorway now connects the Brisbane CBD and the airport.

During the Second World War, Brisbane was the headquarters of the Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the South West Pacific Area, General Douglas MacArthur. The United States armed forces upgraded the airfield (Eagle Farm Airport) to cater for military flights, bringing it to such a standard that it became the main civilian airport for the city.[15]

By the 1970s it was clear that the facilities at Eagle Farm Airport were inadequate for a city of Brisbane's size and anticipated growth. Many long-haul international services to Asia were required to make an en route stop (i.e. Darwin), disadvantaging the city to lure prospective carriers and business opportunities.

The TAA and Ansett domestic terminals at Eagle Farm Airport were reached from Lamington Avenue, near the Doomben Racecourse. The main runway ran from there to the north-east, and its north-east end survives as taxiway Papa of the present airport. The international terminal was in the earlier years, on the same apron as the domestic terminals, but in 1975 a new terminal was built near the other end of the runway, and was used for the next twenty years. This terminal is now the cargo terminal.

Eagle Farm Airport's runways were: Main Runway 04/22 2,365m x 60m (7,760 x 197 ft) and secondary runway 1,539x 30m (5,049 x 98 ft), in a T-shape, with the main runway roughly parallel to the river. The main runway had a full parallel taxiway, runway edge lighting was provided on all runways, T-VASIS lighting on runways 04 and 22, and high intensity Calvert white precision approach lighting on runway 22. Navigation aids were a VOR/DME beacon, a NDB, and an instrument landing system category one on runway 22. 2,421,109 passengers used the airport in 1977. (From Airports of the World by John Stroud, Putnam & Co., London, 1980). Much of the old Eagle Farm Airport disappeared under the Gateway Motorway.

The Federal Government announced the construction of Brisbane Airport to be built immediately north east of Eagle Farm Airport. The new airport was built by Leighton Holdings and opened in 1988 with a new domestic terminal and two runways.[17][18] The new airport was built on the former Brisbane residential suburb of Cribb Island that was demolished to make way for the airport. Large amounts of sand were pumped from nearby Moreton Bay to raise the swamp land above the tidal range.

In 1997, as part of the privatisation of numerous Australian airports, the airport was acquired for $1.4 billion from the Federal Airports Corporation by Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) under a 50-year lease (with an option to renew for a further 49 years). Since that time, BAC has assumed ultimate responsibility for the operations of Brisbane Airport including all airport infrastructure investment with no government funding. BAC's shareholders are major Australian and international organisations and significant institutional investors. Approximately 80 per cent of BAC shareholders are Australian "mums and dads" with their savings invested in superannuation and other funds.[20] Brisbane Airport is categorised as a Leased Federal Airport.[21]

The international terminal was built in 1995 and has 12 bays with aerobridges, two of these are capable of handling A380s. There are also four layover bays.[22] The terminal has four levels: level 1 houses airlines, baggage handlers and tourism operators, level 2 handles arrivals, Level 3 houses the departure lounge, and level 4 houses departure check-in.

There is also a five-storey long term carpark and a smaller short term carpark within close proximity to the terminal.[23]

The international terminal redevelopment began in February 2014. The A$45 million redevelopment is designed by Brisbane architectural practices Richards and Spence and Arkhefield. Queensland artists, Sebastian Moody and Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, have been commissioned for the artworks. The works are scheduled for completion in mid-2015.[24][25]

Brisbane Airport's domestic terminal is a two-storey curved building with three complete satellite arms extending beyond the building providing additional passenger lounge and gate facilities for airlines.

The domestic terminal has three distinct areas serving Qantas and Qantaslink at the northern end of the building and Virgin Australia at the southern end of the building with other carriers such as Jetstar, Tiger Airways and JetGo are located in the central area of the terminal.

The Qantas concourse has 9 bays served by aerobridges including one served by a dual bridge. It has three lounges – the Qantas Club, Business Class and chairman's Lounge. Virgin Australia occupies what was the former Ansett Australia end of the terminal. Its concourse has 11 parking bays, six of which are served by aerobridges (all single bridges). It has one lounge – the Virgin Australia Lounge which is located in the former Golden Wing Club opposite Gate 41.

Remote bays are located to the north and south of the building (serving non-jet aircraft), and in the central area (serving jet aircraft).

On 27 February 2014, Qantas announced it had disposed of its long-term lease (signed in 1987) at the domestic terminal which was due to expire on 30 December 2018. Under the new arrangements, Qantas would retain exclusive use and operational control over much of the northern end of the terminal until the end of 2018 while securing rights to key infrastructure beyond this period.[26]

In addition, BAC plans to make a significant investment in upgrading and improving facilities and services within the terminal, such as lounges and will assume control of the retail space of this part of the terminal.

Notes^1 These flights may make an intermediate stop en route to and/or from their listed final destination; however the airlines have no traffic rights to carry passengers solely between Brisbane and the intermediate Australian stop.^2 Services operated under contract to the Government of Queensland

Brisbane Airport has 4 car-parks, all operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are 2 multi-level undercover car parks, the international, providing short and long term services, and the domestic also provides long and short term parking. Qantas and Virgin Australia also offer Valet Parking at the domestic terminal only. The total car spaces to 9,000. Including in domestic parking is also a valet service with full car wash and cleaning services.

The airport has two railway stations as part of a privately owned airport rail line. The international terminal railway station is elevated and located next to the international terminal, as is the domestic railway station. Both stations are privately owned and operated by the Airtrain consortium. As a result, fares are more expensive than a regular suburban ticket however less than half the taxi fare. The Airtrain travels via the Citytrain suburban network to Fortitude Valley and Brisbane CBD, with most trains continuing to the Gold Coast via South Bank. Trains operate between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm, with services running every 30 minutes or 15 minutes in peak times.[62]

There is an inter-terminal bus connecting the two terminals and the nearby Skygate shopping precinct, DFO and Novotel hotel. Services run between 5:00 am and 11:00 pm for terminal transfers, and 6:00 am to 6:00 pm for the DFO shopping precinct.[63]

On 18 September 2007, the federal government granted approval for the construction of a new parallel runway. The proposed $1.3 billion, 3,300 m (10,800 ft) runway will take approximately eight years to construct and is being built on swamp land 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the current terminal area and parallel to the existing main runway.[64] The long construction period is due to the settling period of the 13 million cubic metres of sand fill that is to be dredged from Moreton Bay. In early December 2014 the delivery of 11 million cubic metres of sand to the site was completed.[65]

Brisbane has had terminal modifications to accommodate the Airbus A380. The A380 first arrived in Australia at Brisbane on 14 November 2005. The first passenger Airbus A380 arrived at Brisbane on 8 November 2010, when Emirates service EK413 travelling from Auckland to Sydney diverted due to poor weather in Sydney. Emirates now flies daily A380 flights from Dubai, and onwards to Auckland. The Emirates Lounge in Brisbane has a custom aerobridge, linking the lounge with the A380's top deck.[69] Occasional diversions are also seen by Qantas and Singapore Airlines, from Sydney and Melbourne Airports.

The Brisbane FIR consists of New South Wales north of Sydney, all of Queensland, most of the Northern Territory and the northern half of Western Australia. It also contains the Australian Tasman Sea airspace. Brisbane Centre is located adjacent to Brisbane Tower at Brisbane Airport. It also contains Brisbane Approach.

Due to the nature of the airspace it controls most international flights in and out of Australia (except Indian Ocean flights), and domestic flights operating to airports within the FIR. From Brisbane Centre, Airservices Australia manages the airspace over the northern half of Australia, representing 5 per cent of the world's total airspace.[70] As only two of eight capitals are located in the Brisbane FIR, it handles a lesser volume of traffic than Melbourne Centre. However, Sydney is on the border of the two FIRs, and thus Brisbane Centre has control of flights arriving or departing in Sydney from the North.

Brisbane Airport's annual passenger numbers are expected to reach more than 25.6 million by 2015 and around 50 million by 2035[71] Brisbane Airport recorded more than 18.5 million passengers in 2007–08. 4.1 million of those were international, with the remaining 14.4 million being domestic[72]

Brisbane Airport has won a number of awards; including being rated as Australia's No. 1 airport for quality of service 10 years in a row (2005–2014 inclusive) in a survey by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission,[75] and being ranked as 3rd Best Airport in the world (for airports servicing between 20–30 million passengers per year).[76] The international terminal won the Queensland architecture award.[77] In 2005 Brisbane Airport was awarded the IATA Eagle Award, the second of only two Australian airports to receive such an award.[78]

On 15 February 2012, a Toll Aviation Fairchild Metro III freighter came to rest on its fuselage about 2.30 am.[79] Neither of the two pilots were injured. The landing gear on the light plane failed to go down during testing after maintenance.